Quinn Aran Moray
by canadduh
Summary: "Listen here, bucko, you're obviously keeping shit from me, and I only trust you as far as I can throw you. So if you really want me to help you better tell me how the hell you know Jimmy," Quinn snapped, rounding on the older Winchester. She deflated again, something about him prevented her from being truly angry, "he's my best friend, and I just want him home."


**Part One: Introduction**

"Nini," the tired voice of Amelia greeted her. She frowned at the use of her childhood nickname.

"It's Quinn," She reminded her older sister before pulling her in for a hug, "how are you, Mimi?"

Amelia grimaced like Quinn knew she would. She returned the hug anyways before pulling back with a sigh.

"He left us, Q, why would James leave us?" Amelia asked, and Quinn felt a seething rage at the broken-hearted look on Amelia's face.

"Whatever the reason it's not your fault, Amy." Quinn assured her sister before leading her to the couch, "you're sure he didn't get like, dad-napped or something?"

"Quinn," Amelia admonished, and Quinn gave her a sheepish smile

"Sorry," Quinn apologized, "it's just, I can't see our Jimbo doing this. Not now at least. Maybe before you two started dating. Now? The only thing I can think is that he was kidnapped."

"The police said I have to wait for a week to report him as missing," Amelia explained grabbing Quinn's hand, "will you stay here until then?"

"Amy, you know I can't," Quinn told her sadly, "I have work."

"Can't you get a sub?" Amy asked, and at that moment, when she was about to protest again, Quinn was engulfed in a hug by a little blonde.

"Auntie Nini!" The young Claire squealed, hugging Quinn for all she was worth, "are you staying, are you staying?"

Quinn looked into the wide eyes of her niece and the worried eyes of her sister. She let out a sigh and hugged Claire back as she answered Amelia.

"Fine, but only for a week."

* * *

Famous last words. The ones that Quinn had spoken nearly two months ago. One week had turned into two and next thing Quinn knew she was terminating her lease and moving into her sister's spare room.

Quinn looked at her unpacked boxes with a sigh. She'd managed to snag a job at a cafe she'd worked at in high school. Considering it was the middle of October, there were no openings for a biology teacher at any of the local schools.

With a look of trepidation, Quinn began unpacking, starting with her clothes. She would leave everything she didn't need in the boxes, as she always did. Quinn moved too much to bother unpacking all of her belongings. If she weren't such a hoarder, she probably wouldn't have much.

"Thank you." Amelia said from where she was standing in the doorway, "I know you were finally at a place where you could settle down but I-"

"Amy," Quinn assured, looking up from the jeans she was folding, "for the millionth time, it's okay. When James shows back up, I'll beat his ass for you then I'll be on my way."

Amelia smiled at her sister, "you've always been overprotective, y'know that."

"The only reason I let James marry you is that he swore he'd never hurt you." Quinn said, a hint of anger in her voice, "now he's gone and broken that promise and probably several others."

Amy tilted her head to the side, regarding Quinn, "why are you calling him James? You never call him James."

Quinn looked down at her hands for a moment before looking back to her older sister with moist eyes. She blinked back tears; she needed to be strong for her family.

"He's never broken my trust like this." Quinn explained, "he's not Jimmy anymore, he's back to being James."

"What are you talking about?" Amelia asked, shutting the door before making her way to sit on Quinn's bed.

Quinn put her laundry aside and turned to face Amelia from her spot on the floor. She regarded Amelia for a second before beginning the story of how she had met James Novak.

* * *

 _Quinn looked over her shoulder for the third time since leaving the school. She had just finished her science fair project and was on her way to meet Amelia at a diner. Amy was home from college for the week, and Quinn was excited to spend her time with her older sister._

 _Amelia was eleven years older than Quinn, and a lot of people were surprised at how close the two were. Quinn, in her childhood, had been rather inquisitive and was always asking Amelia questions. Amelia was patient and kind, she never turned Quinn away and would do her best to answer honestly._

 _At Quinn's current age of eleven, she was still very curious however she had learned quickly to temper her curiosity if she wanted to have friends. Other people her age were not capable of handling the rapid-fire questions that Quinn asked. She'd gotten several lectures on the appropriate times to ask questions and had even spent a day in the detention room when she hadn't been able to control herself._

 _She checked over her shoulder again, always wary of her surroundings. She'd gotten a talk from her father about the dangers of walking alone, and she found herself feeling a little paranoid after. It was getting close to four, the late November light was rapidly fading, and Quinn still had at least five more blocks to go._

 _She was so worried about what was behind her that Quinn hadn't noticed the man on the sidewalk. She had just looked back again when her foot collided with something solid, and she lost her balance._

 _Quinn glanced down at the splayed form of a grown man and nearly screamed. She was sure that the man was dead. That is until she noticed that his hand was clenching and unclenching._

" _Hello?" She asked, her voice timid, "are you okay?"_

 _The man didn't move, so Quinn squatted beside him, poking his side. It was her fifth such poke when he snaked out a hand and wrapped it around Quinn's wrist. His grip wasn't tight, but it had startled Quinn._

" _What do you want?" The man's voice was hoarse, his blue eyes were bright and clear, and he definitely looked like he had seen better days._

 _Quinn gulped, his look was intense. She had not prepared herself for it. Not that she knew how she would have prepared herself for it, but still._

" _Are you okay, mister?" Quinn asked, her voice curious and innocent._

" _Why do you care?" the man asked defensively. Quinn may not have known much of the hardships of the world at this point, but she knew enough to understand that the man had been through a lot of them._

" _You tripped me." Quinn said, her voice flat, "I- I was just making sure you were fine. I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."_

" _Ah," The man said before releasing Quinn. She looked down at her wrist to see that it was covered in dirt and something sticky. Blood. It was definitely blood._

" _You are not okay." Quinn said, kneeling next to the man and shaking him, "hello?"_

 _He wasn't responding, and Quinn was beginning to panic. With shaking hands, she pulled out her phone from her back pocket and dialed 911. She was given the phone last year for emergencies and to talk to Amelia when her sister was at college._

" _911 what's your emergency?" A kind lady answered. Quinn wasn't sure how she knew the lady was kind but there was something in her voice that calmed Quinn immediately._

" _Uh," Quinn started brilliantly, "There's a man, I think he's hurt."_

" _What's your name sweetie?" The woman asked._

" _Quinn." She told her._

" _Okay, Quinn, where are you?"_

Quinn looked around, she hadn't paid attention to the streets earlier, but now she took the chance to figure out where she was.

" _45th and Pine," Quinn told the woman, looking at the stop sign around thirty feet away. "There's a big blue building; we're in front of that."_

" _Alright, sweetie. Someone's on their way." the woman told her. Quinn nodded, not realizing that the woman wouldn't be able to see it, "are you injured?"_

" _No." Quinn said, "I mean, I tripped on him, but I'm alright."_

" _You're very brave, y'know that Quinn?" The woman said with a kindness that Quinn hadn't been expecting._

" _Thank you?" Quinn said, turning her gratitude into a question._

 _They talked while Quinn waited for someone to arrive. She refused to leave the man's side until he was loaded into the ambulance. She would have gone with him too if Amelia hadn't called at that point._

" _Quinn," Amelia breathed in panic, "where are you?"_

" _Mimi," Quinn said, her voice shaking a little, "I- I tripped on a man, and he was hurt so I waited for the police to show up I-"_

 _She broke out in sobs. Quinn wasn't used to this much excitement, and she definitely wasn't used to all the questions she had been asked._

" _Hey, hey, Nini." Amelia said, her voice kind and relaxing, "you're okay, yeah?" Quinn nodded and sniffled, "Where are you? I'll come pick you up, and we can go out to that dinner you were promised."_

" _45th and Pine," Quinn said, repeating her earlier statement._

" _I'll be there soon," Amelia said, her voice shaking a little, "make sure you stay there."_

 _As soon as Amelia hung up, Quinn noticed the cop standing next to her. He was an elderly kind looking man. His gray eyes were comforting, and Quinn found herself relaxing next to him._

" _Quinn Moray, right?" The man asked, kneeling in front of Quinn and taking her hands when she nodded, "you did a brave thing today, Quinn. You saved that man's life."_

 _Quinn nodded mutely, she wasn't sure what to make of the situation, and she definitely wasn't sure what to do next. She decided to talk to this kind cop until Amelia showed up. He complied with her wishes, and soon they were speaking of mundane day to day things, and Quinn was finally able to relax._

* * *

 _She didn't get the chance to see the man until Amelia had left. She was put on a tight leash by her elder sister and her parents, but Quinn couldn't bring herself to protest. She barely got to see her parents, as busy as they were, and Amelia was usually away at college._

 _The day after Amelia had left found Quinn at the reception desk of the hospital. She got the man's room number and was about to find him when a nurse stopped Quinn._

" _Are you sure that's the person you're looking for?" The nurse asked kindly and a bit worriedly._

" _Tall, black hair, bright blue eyes, brought in last week?" Quinn asked, her voice sounding a lot more mature than she looked. The nurse nodded, "That's him."_

 _Quinn shook herself out of the woman's grasp and continued down the hall. She was a little more cautious now, but she needed to see for herself how the man was doing. She felt a sense of responsibility for the man, and she was going to do as much as was in her power for him._

" _What do you want?" The man asked when Quinn entered the room. He was sitting up on the bed and looked considerably better than he had the last time she'd seen him. He eyed Quinn suspiciously, his blue eyes hard._

" _Are you alright?" Quinn asked, almost losing her courage at the sharp snap of the man's words._

" _Do I look like I'm alright?" The man snapped at her. He flinched when Quinn stepped back, "Sorry, I- I'm sorry."_

 _Quinn took a breath and stepped into the room. She pulled her backpack in front of her and pulled out the snacks she had brought for the man. She gave them to him in silence before taking the seat next to his bed._

" _Thank you," The man offered. Quinn found that the timbre of his voice was soothing._

" _You're welcome," Quinn said with a small smile, observing the way the men looked a little lighter now. "What's your name?"_

 _He studied Quinn for a second before telling her, "Mike." He said, and for some reason, Quinn didn't believe him. She told him as much._

" _I don't believe you," Quinn said, surprising the man._

" _Oh really?" The man challenged, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "What's my name then?"_

" _I don't know, but I don't think it's Mike," Quinn said with a shrug._

" _How about if you guess my name you can tell me yours?" The man asked, and Quinn tilted her head._

" _Why is my name the prize?" She asked, "That's boring. Candy is a much better prize."_

" _But there's only one name that is uniquely yours." The man said, and Quinn could barely grasp the wisdom of that statement._

" _You have yourself a deal," Quinn told him, reaching out a small pale hand for him to shake._

* * *

 _For the next five days, Quinn was often found in the man's room. The name on his door tag was Mike Jones, and Quinn always brushed her hand over it with a smile, like it was a secret only she was privy to. She would interject their conversations with random guesses, all of which ended up being wrong._

" _Are you in a gang?" Quinn asked on the fifth day, the man tilted his head in confusion,"that's what the nurses were saying."_

" _No," he told her with a laugh, "I'm not in a gang."_

" _Then who are you?" Quinn asked, "I mean when you're not in the hospital."_

" _Guess." The man challenged, and Quinn groaned._

" _But I already have to guess your name." She protested, "Is it, Timothy?"_

" _It's not Timothy," The man said with a pleasing smile._

" _James." The voice of an older man interjected, and Quinn saw how the man twitched but didn't respond, "this is where you've been you worthless piece of shit."_

 _Quinn winced at the harsh language, no one in her family used vulgar language, and Quinn was not used to hearing it. She also wasn't fond of the way the man was talking to James._

" _Who are you, little girl?" The man questioned, noticing Quinn was occupying the room._

 _Quinn stared at him with wide, almost disconcerting, eyes. She tilted her head to the side to regard the man. His eyes were similar to the man's eyes, but they were nowhere near as kind. Quinn didn't respond, something she could tell was annoying the man._

" _I said, who are you, little girl?" The man repeated, moving closer to Quinn._

" _Fath-" The man started to interject, but he quickly shut up when he was glared at._

" _Answer the question." The man demanded. Quinn still didn't respond._

 _She wasn't going to show it, but the man scared her. He seemed cruel, and Quinn was confident that he was willing to hurt her. She was also furious with him. He was very rude to the man who appeared to be his son._

" _I can't tell you." Quinn finally said, her voice calm, a lot calmer than she was used to._

" _Then get out." The man ordered pulling Quinn from the chair._

 _Quinn gasped, staring at the man in shock. No one had ever been physically violent with Quinn, and it was scaring her._

" _Get out." He yelled, and Quinn almost complied, almost._

" _Who are you old man?" She demanded, using the same tone he had earlier._

" _What?" The man yelled turning on her._

" _I said, who are you old man?" She wasn't sure where this sudden courage was coming from, but she definitely didn't dislike it._

" _Now listen here-" The old man started when he was interrupted by a nurse._

" _Is there a problem here?" The red-headed woman asked, sticking her head in the room._

" _No," The old man said as Quinn said "Yes."_

 _He turned to glare at her, but Quinn wasn't looking at him._

" _This man is very mean." Quinn said, letting her voice quiver with the fear that she was feeling, "He- he came in here and said bad things to my friend, and then he pulled me out of the chair."_

Quinn gestured to her rumpled shirt and looked at the woman with moist eyes.

" _My friend obviously doesn't like this man, and I don't either." Quinn's voice was small now, the way it had been on the nights when she woke up from nightmares._

" _Is this true?" The nurse asked, looking at the two older men with hard eyes, "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the room."_

 _The mean man started to put up a fight, but after a moment he left with a glare at Quinn._

" _You shouldn't have done that." The man said, and Quinn turned to him with wide eyes._

" _Is your name James?" Quinn asked, her voice almost back to normal._

 _The man nodded with a sad smile. Quinn grinned nearly jumping on the man with a hug._

" _My name is Quinn Moray." She told him, "But my friends call me Nini."_

" _My friends call me Jimmy," Jimmy said with a playful glint in his eyes. "Jimmy Novak."_

* * *

Amelia sat there in silence. Her eyes were wide, and she regarded Quinn carefully.

"You never told me that James was that man." Amelia said, her voice quiet, "The one you saved."

Quinn shrugged, "He asked me not to. He was in a hard place then. You know how his dad was."

Amelia nodded a hard glint in her gray eyes.

The death of James Novak Senior had not been mourned by many.

"James is a stranger, James is his father's son." Quinn continued, "Jimmy is my friend."

Amelia nodded before standing up with a grunt, "I need to start on dinner. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks, Mimi." Quinn expressed with a grin, knowing that her older sister hated her childhood nickname as much as Quinn despised her own.

When Amelia left the room, Quinn stood up from her spot on the floor and grabbed her phone. She dialed Jimmy's number and sighed in disappointment when it went straight to voicemail. Quinn had called Jimmy every day since he had disappeared, and every day it had been the same.

" _Hello, you've reached Jimmy Novak. Please leave your name and number, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."_

Quinn remembered watching Jimmy set his voicemail message. She's tried to get him to do something less generic but no matter what she had suggested he had reverted to this boring old one.

"What the hell are you doing, Jimmy," Quinn said when she was told she could leave a message.

She hung up right after that and threw her phone onto her bed before following it with a grunt. She was tired. Quinn had gone back to Sioux Falls to say goodbye to a few friends and pack her things. She'd spent the weekend cleaning up her apartment and had left, all within the last four days.

Quinn had moved from Pontiac to Sioux Falls for college. She had received a scholarship from Augustana University, and on top of her other scholarships and grants, it had been her best option. There she'd gotten a job at a cafe and had worked her way through college with minimal debt.

Being back in Pontiac was weird. After college, she had gotten a job at Shindler high school, which was the little community the cafe had been in. She'd been working there for two years, and she had loved the job. Teaching biology to high schoolers was a lot more fun than Quinn had thought it was going to be.

She had always loved science, ever since she could remember, at least. She had decided to go into education after one of her friends had mentioned that she would be good at it. Tina had been Quinn's best friend in college, but since Tina had moved back to the west coast, they hadn't talked as much.

Quinn got up from the bed, threw on a cardigan, and went down to see if she could help Amelia. She knew that Amelia would probably reject her help, but if she stayed in her room any longer, she would start pulling out her hair.

* * *

"You're giving up on him?" Quinn nearly shouted before remembering that her niece was asleep the next room over, "Amelia-"

"Quinn," Amelia interrupted, "It's been three months. It's almost Christmas. I have to move on… For Claire's sake if nothing else. I- I can't keep doing this."

Quinn felt her anger dissipate when Amelia started to cry. She quickly wrapped her sister in a hug and began to rock her back and forth. Quinn could feel her tears slipping down her face, and she turned her head to wipe her cheek on Amelia's shirt.

"Rude," Amelia admonished with a watery laugh.

Quinn chuckled pulling back from Amelia. She was glad that her sister was doing better, although she was pissed at the man who had caused her this pain. Amelia had not been even close to this broken since her dog, Jess, had died when she was 15.

"Hey, Amy?" Quinn said after a few moments, getting her sister's attention, "do you still need me here?"

"Huh?" Amelia said, not following.

"It's just, I know you wanted me here earlier, but I kind of do like having a place to myself. I'm thinking of staying in Pontiac, but I'd like to have my own apartment." Quinn explained, looking down at her hands.

"Yeah, sure." Amelia said with a smile, "Claire and I can help you look for one."

Quinn pulled her sister into another hug before running into the attached bathroom to have a shower. She'd been on a run earlier and had wanted to shower but then Amelia had wanted to talk to her. Once Quinn was showered she changed into her work clothes and then biked to the cafe.

"Gerald!" Quinn called as she tied her apron around her waist. Gerald was her shift partner. He was a college student with dark brown hair and green eyes who was always falling asleep on the job. Quinn was surprised he didn't have more burns than he did.

"Hey, Quinn." Gerald greeted when he walked in from the backroom.

The cafe was a nice little place. The walls were a dark brown, and the floors were a warm red. There were three booths and along each wall but the back wall. The floor was littered with chairs and tables of various shapes, sizes, and colors. Quinn found the place cozy, even if it was a little odd.

"Welcome to Deja Brew." Gerald greeted as a customer walked into the cafe.

The man gave him a weird look and Quinn couldn't help but laugh. The two had made it a contest to see who could greet the most customers with Coffee puns. The actual name of the Cafe was Caitlyn's Cafe, but no one actually knew who Caitlyn was. The owner's name was Sue and the person she'd bought it from had bought it from someone else and so on. No one remembered who the original owner was.

"What can I get for you, sir?" Quinn asked with her signature smirk. Others had told her that it looked like she was sharing a secret with the person she was smiling at.

"Just a drip coffee, strongest you got." The man said. "Uh, a large."

"You got that Gerald?" Quinn asked before ringing the man up.

"Grande drip," Gerald repeated, and Quinn took the time to study the man.

He was tall, abnormally tall, with shaggy brown hair. His eyes were a hazel color. Quinn guessed that he was around her twenty-five years of age. He was wearing dirty jeans and a blue and black flannel. He was hunched over like someone who had been through hard times. Quinn had the distinct feeling that she recognized him from somewhere, but she wasn't sure.

"Do I have something on my face?" The man asked, and Quinn blushed. She had a habit of staring at people that tended to creep them out. Sue had also told her it was bad for business, but Quinn didn't believe her.

"Uh," Quinn said, sixteen years of schooling, two bachelor's degrees, and twenty-five years of general life experience and the best she could come up with was 'uh.'

"Sorry 'bout Quinn," Gerald apologized, handing the man his drink, "she's a lot smarter than she sounds."

"Thanks, Gerry." Quinn said, using her nickname for the man, "But yeah, sorry 'bout that."

"Uh, yeah," The man said before going to occupy one of the booths.

Gerald grinned at her, but Quinn knew better than to pay attention. Anytime a moderately attractive, taller man, walked into the cafe Gerald gave her looks. It wasn't Quinn's fault that she had a specific type. She liked men that were at least as tall as her five feet and eleven inches, which was apparently hard to come by.

"Go talk to him." Gerald whispered when there was a lull in the customers, "he's been looking at you all day."

Quinn grimaced, "That's a little creepy." She told Gerald, even though she was untying her apron already.

She slid into the seat opposite the man and smirked when he'd startled. Quinn had had her fair share of flings in college, but since then she'd kept it to one relationship that had only lasted about five months.

For some reason though, Quinn didn't feel like flirting with this man. She had the distinct feeling that he wasn't looking for a fling either. She had nothing to base this off, she'd get feelings like this from people sometimes, and they always proved to be right.

"Sorry to startle you." Quinn apologized with a sheepish grin before introducing herself to the man, "the name's Quinn Moray."

"Sam Winchester." The man introduced himself with his own smile, "nice to meet you, Quinn."

"You as well," Quinn said, "So, what brings you to the lovely town of Pontiac?"

"Business," Sam said with a sigh. She knew the feeling, having to go somewhere you didn't want to be.

"What kind?" Quinn asked.

"The family kind," Sam said sharply, and Quinn winced, "Sorry, it's just…" He sighed again, "it's been a long few months."

"I know the feeling," Quinn said with sympathy, "okay, so family business, sensitive topic. How 'bout books, d'ya read Sam?"

Sam smiled thankfully, "yeah, mostly mythology, sometimes law, when I have time I enjoy a good mystery."

"I had a friend who was like that," Quinn mused with a hum, "haven't heard from her in awhile."

"What was she like?" Sam asked, seeming to sense a safe topic.

"Kind of mysterious," Quinn told him, "I met her up near Sioux Falls SD, she needed a ride to some auto place, so I gave her a lift. We kept in touch for a little bit after that, then suddenly nothing. It's like she dropped off the face of the earth. I tried looking her up but didn't find anything."

"Huh," Sam said before returning her earlier question, "what do you read?"

"Well this is gonna sound boring, I usually read biology articles." Quinn told him with a smile, "I'm a biology teacher."

"You work in a cafe." Sam pointed out with the hint of a real smile.

"Is that why people run when I start trying to teach them about photosynthesis?" Quinn asked loudly, nearly yelling at Gerald. Sam cringed a little.

"Nah, Quinn, it's because you're scary," Gerald yelled back from his place behind the counter.

"Oh." Quinn said, turning back to Sam, "Sorry, it's, uh, a running joke."

"No, no, yeah." Sam said quickly, "I understand."

The two were quiet for a moment when Quinn's phone started to buzz. She looked down to see that Amelia was calling her then looked up at Sam with a sigh.

"It's my sister," Quinn said apologetically, "It was nice to meet you, Sam."

"You as well Quinn," Sam said before standing and exiting the cafe a little awkwardly like he was self-conscious about his decision to leave.

" _Hey, Quinn?"_ Amy asked as soon as Quinn picked up, " _Can you pick up Claire at three thirty? I would, but my boss is threatening to fire me if I leave early one more time."_

"Sure thing, sis," Quinn said before hanging up.

She put on her apron and got back to work.

* * *

As the months went by Quinn quickly fell into a routine. She would open up the Cafe around nine, close at four then go home, go for a run, and finally end the day with a six to eight karate class with Claire and Amelia.

In late November Quinn had nearly been abducted on one of her runs. She'd had a panic attack that lasted for five hours when she was finally safe. While it was happening, she'd managed to kick her attacker in his soft spot and get away. It was after that incident that the three females of the Novak/Moray household decided that knowing how to protect themselves was a good thing.

She only deviated from this routine on Sundays in order to go to church. She wasn't really religious, but she found comfort in the hard pews and the melodious hymns. Over the last few months, she had questioned her faith in God multiple times. It was in moments like these, sitting peacefully with her head bowed in prayer, that she had faith again.

It was after one of these services that she noticed things beginning to change. Amelia was growing distant and spending more time at work. Quinn was more often than not picking Claire up from school and making sure her niece was fed.

It was in March that Quinn decided to confront her sister. She could tell that Amelia's change in demeanor was affecting Claire more than Claire was willing to admit. The girl was much like her father in those regards.

Jimmy would lock away his true feelings about something to make others happy. Quinn had gotten a lot of experience in making the man talk to her. He may have been in love with Amelia, but Quinn was definitely his best friend. And he had been hers.

Claire had gone to bed several hours ago when Amelia had finally returned from work. Quinn let her sister eat some food and get changed for bed before she initiated what was sure to be an uncomfortable conversation.

"Hey, Amelia?" Quinn asked after knocking on the doorframe to Amelia's room, "can we talk?"

Amelia looked up from her book and gave Quinn a tired smile, "yeah sure, what's up?"

Quinn entered the room sitting on the bed next to her older sister. She grabbed Amelia's hand and squeezed it.

"I'm worried about you," Quinn started, not making eye contact with her sister.

"Quinn," Amelia tried, but Quinn stopped her with a look.

"No, Amelia. You haven't been taking breaks. You don't eat; you don't sleep, you don't spend time with Claire." Quinn gave Amelia a hard look, "you need to take a break. Spend time with your daughter. She's not going to say anything, but she needs you. She's already lost her father. Don't make her lose you too."

Amelia didn't respond for a few minutes, and Quinn was starting to think that she wouldn't. Suddenly Quinn was pulled into a bone-crushing hug by her older sister. She returned the hug, making sure not to pull back until Amelia did.

"I know you cope by working harder, Amy, it's what you have always done." Quinn said in a reassuring voice, "but you can't do that anymore. You need to take care of Claire."

As if she knew that she was the topic of conversation the door to Amelia's room opened to reveal the young Claire. She looked scared, and both Amelia and Quinn felt panic rush through their system.

"What is it, honey?" Amelia asked, rushing to Claire and pulling her into a hug.

"Nightmare," Claire said, burying her head in her mom's chest, "I drempt that you and Nini were gonna leave me."

The two shared a look over Claire's head, Quinn raised an eyebrow at her sister, but Amelia just lowered her gaze back to Claire.

"Please don't leave me," Claire implored, looking up at Amelia with large watery eyes.

"It's okay, Claire-bear," Quinn assured her niece, placing a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder, "your mom and I are here for you. I promise."

Claire nodded into Amelia's shoulder, and Quinn stood to give the two some space to be together. She decided to stay in the spare room, rather than returning to her apartment which she was using less and less as Amelia got more and more distant.

* * *

It was June when Quinn convinced Amelia to start therapy. Due to Amelia's schedule and Claire's needs, Amy decided to do it over skype with a lovely woman named Missouri Moseley. They met in person once when Missouri was in Springfield visiting an old friend. Claire had gone with Quinn for the day.

Now that it was summer Quinn was taking fewer hours at the cafe so that she could be with Claire when Amy went to work the night shift at the nearby Denny's. Quinn had tried to convince Amy to go back to school to finish her masters in Finance, which was what Amy had studied in college and had been doing when James had walked out of their lives. Amelia decided it was better to spend time with her daughter.

Quinn cherished her time with Claire. The girl was brilliant, and she understood that her mom was trying her best. Quinn made sure to take the day off for Claire's birthday in October. Amelia had forgotten to ask on time.

"Sweetie, I know your mom is working but do you wanna go out to dinner? I've made reservations at that sushi shop I know you love." Quinn said, wrapping her niece up in a bear hug.

"What are resre- reservations?" Claire asked, her confusion outweighing her delight at the prospect of sushi.

"I told them to save us a table," Quinn explained with a grin, Claire was just as inquisitive as Quinn had been when she was her age, "Gerry will be there as well."

Claire had grown pretty attached to Quinn's co-worker during the times that Quinn had to bring her to work, so the girl wasn't at home alone.

"Yes!" Claire grinned before racing to her room to grab her coat and shoes, "Are we leaving now?"

"Yes we are, Claire-bear," Quinn assured as she pulled on her coat and grabbed her keys and wallet. She made sure to lock the door behind her before following Claire to the car.

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Claire's birthday, and it was nearly a year since James had left. Quinn could see how much it was affecting Amelia. Her older sister was skinny and pale, and her hair had lost its shine. Amelia made sure not to show how tired she was in front of Claire but Quinn knew that her sister couldn't keep it up anymore.

"Amelia," Quinn said, grabbing her sister's hand one night and pulling her to the couch. "You need to take a break. Spend the night with Claire, let her know you're still here."

"Okay," Amelia breathed after a moment of staring at nothing, "okay, I can do that."

"Good," Quinn nodded, "because I called your work and you're taking the night off."

Quinn sent Amelia up to Claire's room with two cups of hot chocolate and smiled when she heard Claire's cry of delight. She set up her laptop on the kitchen table and opened up Firefox, pulling up her tabs from last time.

Quinn stared at the screen, her eyes blurring with tears as she read through the missing person's report again and thought back to when James, then Jimmy, had gotten released from the hospital.

* * *

" _Promise me I can see you again," Quinn cried as she threw her thin arms around Jimmy's waist._

 _She had been Jimmy for the last three weeks as the man recovered in the hospital. Quinn knew her parents had been in to see Jimmy as well; she'd heard them talking and had hidden around the corner for ten minutes after they left. She'd cried that night thinking Jimmy wasn't going to be her friend anymore._

" _Of course we'll see each other," Jimmy assured, "you have my number, and you can text or call me whenever you want, providing your homework is done, and you're not supposed to be in bed."_

" _You sound like my sister," Quinn grimaced, "I think you and Mimi would get along."_

" _Mimi?" Jimmy asked this was the first time Quinn had mentioned her sister. He watched as a floodgate opening and Quinn started gushing about her older sister._

" _Amelia! She's twenty-two, one year older than you, and in college. She's majoring in business with a focus in finance!" Quinn said, repeating what Amelia had told her family at Thanksgiving a few weeks ago. "She's super smart too!"_

 _Jimmy nodded, "well, you'll just have to introduce us later."_

" _What are you doing for Christmas?" Quinn asked, switching topics in a way that only a child can._

" _Uh-" Jimmy hummed, "probably hanging out with my mom."_

" _Come to our house!" Quinn grinned like it was the best idea in the world, because to her it was, "you can meet Mimi! And our dog Fluffer!"_

" _Alright, I'll have to ask your parents though," Jimmy said with a small smile, "don't get your hopes up."_

" _They'll say yes!" Quinn grinned, "I know that they will."_

" _Whatever you say, Nini," Jimmy said with a grin._

* * *

 _Quinn had been right. Her parents allowed Jimmy to come over for Christmas. Though he did have to have a very serious and awkward conversation about his friendship with Quinn. She didn't hear about the conversation until shortly before Amelia and Jimmy were going to get married._

 _When Amelia came back from college Quinn had been eager to introduce her to Jimmy, just knowing that the two would click, and she had been right. Jimmy and Amelia got along great, and as Quinn grew up, she tried to get them together._

" _Jimmy," Quinn said with a sly grin, a couple of months after Jimmy and Amelia had met, "are you texting Amelia?"_

 _Shortly after Christmas Quinn had decided that she was too old for her childhood nicknames. Mimi was now Amelia, and she was Quinn. Jimmy was still Jimmy though, because 'James was his father's son and Quinn didn't like James.'_

" _No," Jimmy denied, hiding his phone from Quinn's prying eyes._

" _You can't hide anything from me, Jimmy," Quinn reminded, she softened when she saw the look of panic that Jimmy was sending her, "Jimmy, calm down. I'm the one trying to get you two together. As long as you don't hurt her, we're good."_

" _If I hurt her, please kick my ass," Jimmy pleaded, "Quinn, sometimes I don't think I'm good enough, and I don't want her to see that."_

" _You're good enough, Jimmy," Quinn said, pulling Jimmy in for a hug, "but if you do hurt her, I will kick your ass."_

" _I'm rubbing off on you," Jimmy grinned as Quinn blushed, she'd never cussed before, but she found that it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be._

" _I'm thirteen now, Jimmy, I'm allowed to cuss," Quinn laughed, "but don't tell my mom, she'll kill me."_

" _You're right she will," the sound of her mom's voice had Quinn squealing and falling off the couch in her haste._

" _I'm sorry mom, won't happen again," Quinn apologized, looking at her hands in shame._

" _Hey now," Sally protested, "you're allowed to make mistakes, Quinn, just don't get used to vulgar language like that, it's not proper."_

" _Sorry mom," Quinn apologized._

" _And you, young man," Sally chastised, turning towards Jimmy, "watch your mouth around my daughter."_

" _Yes ma'am, Mrs. Moray. Sorry Mrs. Moray," Jimmy apologized, grinning sheepishly at the woman._

" _I've got some snacks for you two then you better get your homework done."_

" _Yes ma'am," The two replied together, grinning at each other._

* * *

"Dammit Jimmy," Quinn growled, slamming the laptop shut and rubbing her eyes. She grabbed a tissue to blow her nose and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She called goodbye to Amelia and Claire before heading out.

She had to be up early for work since they'd change the hours to accommodate Quinn's new schedule with Claire. It worked better to be open earlier since more people needed coffee at six than required coffee at nine.

Quinn jumped when her phone started to ring. She pulled it from her pocket and frowned when the number cut off. She didn't recognize it, so she let it go when no one called back.

Work the next morning was slow for the first few hours. Even though their hours changed Gerald didn't start until nine still, and he went until four while Quinn was off at one now. She called Amy on her break and convinced the woman to spend some more time with her daughter while Quinn went to their parent's house to spend some time with their mother.

"Quinn," Gerald greeted when he came in for the start of his shift, "how are things?"

Quinn hugged her friend before going back to the drink she was fixing for one of their regular customers, "They're going swell, Gerry. I mean, I'm still royally pissed at Jimmy and I think I always will be but Amy's finally taking steps to get better. I'm giving her and Claire some space today."

"If you need me I'm just a phone call away," Gerald reminded her gently before going to the back to grab his apron.

"Thanks, Gerald," Quinn called before the bell on the door rang, and she greeted her next customer, "hello! Welcome to Brewed Awakening, how may I help you?"

"Uh, large drip, strongest you got," the man was a few inches taller than Quinn with short sandy blonde hair and green eyes. She made a quick note that she loved freckles and needed to make friends with freckles before grinning at the man and starting his order.

"What brings you to Pontiac, stranger?" Quinn asked, there was no one else for her to serve and she was bored since Gerald was still in the back. His shift didn't start for another ten minutes so she couldn't blame him.

"Business," the man replied, he seemed haggard somehow. It wasn't in his looks but more in the way he carried himself. Quinn had seen plenty of men who thought they had to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders and this man seemed to have it worse than all of them.

"Good business or bad business?" Quinn asked as they exchanged drink and money. She gave him his change and smiled when he dropped all of it in the tip jar, "thanks."

"No problem," the man grinned. He was charming, and if she didn't think it would end badly, Quinn would love to invite him to her place. As it was, she joined him at his table when Gerald came out to start his shift a few minutes later.

"So? Good or bad?" Quinn asked when she was settled across from the stranger.

"Bad," The man said, "which is unfortunate."

"Bad business always is," Quinn agreed before offering her hand, "I'm Quinn Moray, by the way."

"Dean Winchester," the man gave her another charming smile and shook her hand.

"Winchester?" Quinn asked. How was it that since she moved here she'd talked to two dangerously attractive tall men who she could hook-up with but also couldn't and they both had the last name, Winchester? "You related to a Sam?"

"Why you asking?" Dean demanded, his eyes hardened, and Quinn rose her hands up in supplication.

"Woah, dude, I'm not stalking you or anything. A few months ago I talked to another Winchester," Quinn explained, watching as the man relaxed, though he still looked suspicious, "you guys look alike, so I was wondering if you knew him. Tall, shaggy hair, wears plaid."

"Sounds like my brother," Dean nodded, "He's the one who suggested we meet here, actually."

"Brothers," Quinn muttered before grinning at Dean, "well, I guess I'll get out of your way then."

Quinn stood just as the door opened and a familiar face walked in. She grinned at Sam before making her way to the counter. He smiled back before going over to his brother. Gerald handed her two coffees and gestured to where the brothers were staring at her with twin expressions.

"They've got questions for ya," Gerald said shoving the coffees into her hand and shooing her away.

"What?" She demanded when she took the coffees back to the table and handed the drip to Sam, "I wouldn't be surprised if Gerald was a mind reader. He says you've got questions."

"Uh, yeah," Sam said, tilting her head, "we're here looking for someone."

"Aren't we all," Quinn tried to joke before clearing her throat, "sorry that was tasteless, Dean said you were here on Bad Business."

"Do you know a Jimmy Novak?" Dean asked after sharing a look with his brother.

Quinn felt her breath stop and focused on getting it back as the brothers watched her response carefully. She started breathing again but still felt a ringing in her head as she stood up knocking her cup to the ground and spilling the contents everywhere.

"Gerald, I'm taking off early," Quinn said, ignoring his look of concern as she stormed out, still in her apron. She went to the side of the building and emptied the contents of her stomach, hating herself for her visceral reaction simply to the name of her best friend.

She felt a hand on her back and spun, pushing the person away. She stopped, breathing heavy when she saw Sam with his hands up and Dean standing right behind him with suspicion written all over his face.

"What do you know about Jimmy?" Quinn demanded once she could speak again, "i- is he dead?"

He couldn't be dead. Jimmy was her best friend; there was no way he was gone without Quinn being able to talk to him again.

"No," Sam assured gently, "but he is in danger."

"No shit," Quinn growled, "I promised to beat his ass next time I see him."

Quinn almost smiled at the shared look but couldn't bring herself to do it. She felt drained as she watched the men communicate in a way that she used to communicate with Jimmy.

"Look, Jimmy is my best friend, if you guys are looking to help him then I'll tell you what I know," Quinn said when they didn't talk, "but if you're looking to hurt him then I will kill you, and no one will find the bodies."

"We just want to keep his family safe," Sam informed her with wide eyes. Quinn knew the look of someone pleading for help.

"I'll help," Quinn said with a grimace, "what do you guys need to know?"

* * *

Quinn hung up with a huff glaring at her phone before turning to Dean and Sam. She was tempted just to let them go without her, but she knew that Amelia wouldn't listen to them unless she was there.

"I dropped my life for her, and as soon as I ask her to change plans it's all, 'you're the one who planned this, Quinn,' and 'I've already made dinner Quinn.' Why are sisters so annoying?" Quinn wasn't upset with her sister, just concerned.

Sam huffed a laugh and Quinn glared at him, "explain to me why you wanted me to drag my sister out of her house again?"

"Because Jimmy might go there and it's dangerous for your family," Dean explained yet again. She could tell that he was annoyed with her, but honestly, she didn't care.

"Listen here, bucko, you're obviously keeping shit from me, and I only trust you as far as I can throw you. So if you really want me to help you better tell me how the hell you know Jimmy," Quinn snapped, rounding on the older Winchester. She deflated again, something about him prevented her from being truly angry, "he's my best friend, and I just want him home."

Sam and Dean shared another look and if Quinn didn't feel drained she would have laughed at them. Sam looked impressed, and Dean seemed to be telling him to shut up.

"You know what, fuck you guys," Quinn said, rubbing her forehead, "I don't care anymore. I'm gonna head home."

"What?" Dean questioned stepping in front of Quinn, "I thought this dude was your best friend?"

"Well, I'm obviously not his," Quinn said coldly before pushing past the Winchesters, "if I see you again I'm calling the police."

Quinn was about to unlock her car when her phone started ringing. She picked it up when she saw that it was the house phone. Only Claire ever called her from the phone.

"Hey, Claire-Bear, what's up?" Quinn asked, leaning against her car while glaring at the brothers.

"Nini, can we get some Fritos next time we go to the store?" The girl asked, her voice catching.

Quinn's breath hitched, and she turned around and quickly unlocked her car before jumping in. When Claire was old enough to understand Jimmy and Amelia had talked to the girl about safety, and she had chosen a word to say when things weren't safe. Quinn had been privy to the word.

She had never heard Claire say the word before.

"I'll be there soon, Claire, go hide in the closet," Quinn ordered her niece before throwing her car into reverse and peeling out of the parking lot.

She never noticed the Impala her but was grateful for the steady presence of the brothers when she pulled up to the house. The lights were on, but there was something wrong. Quinn took a deep breath before rushing up the stairs.

"Dude, you can't just rush in like that," Dean snapped grabbing Quinn's arm and pulling her back to him, "let Sam, and I go first."

Quinn nodded, allowing herself to be guided behind the brothers. She somehow wasn't surprised to see Dean holding a knife. They didn't bother knocking on the door and instead kicked it in.

Inside Amelia was in tears, Jimmy was being attacked by one of their friends, another was on the ground, unconscious. Claire was nowhere to be seen. Quinn's priority was getting Claire out of the house. She paused for only a moment when she saw her best friend before she took off up the stairs.

"Claire," Quinn gently called when she got to the young girl's room. They'd set up a place for the girl to hide if something ever happened. It was a little nest of blankets in the back corner of the closet where she would be safe.

"Nini," Claire whimpered, causing Quinn's heart to twist.

Quinn opened the closet and knelt down to gather the child in her arms before hoisting her up. She flinched at the sound of gunshots but then forced herself to relax before carrying Claire out of the room.

Quinn knew that there were no more threats in the house. She could feel it in the way that the air settled as she carried Claire down the stairs. She went straight to the kitchen so that Claire didn't have to see the mess that was undoubtedly in the living room.

"Quinn?" A familiar voice questioned, and the woman felt Claire's arms tighten around her shoulders. She forced herself to take a few breaths before turning around.

"Jimmy," Quinn greeted, her voice flat, "nice to see you."

Her breath hitched when Jimmy fell to the ground, his face buried in his hands. The man in front of her was broken in ways that she would never be able to understand. She could feel the pain in him, the regret and trauma he had gone through.

"Here," Amelia said from behind her. Quinn set Claire down, and the girl went to her mom while Quinn dropped next to Jimmy. She hauled the man into her arms and started to rub his back, whispering that it was going to get better.

"We've got to go," Dean's voice demanded from the entrance to the kitchen. Quinn looked up and glared at the man.

"Give us a minute," She growled at him before grabbing Jimmy's face and forcing him to look at her, "I don't know what the hell you did, Jimmy. I don't know if I can forgive you for it, but I will try. What I do know is that you're here, you're safe, and you will do what you need to protect your family."

Quinn rested her head against Jimmy's and then gasped, shoving the man away as images flashed into her mind. There was Dean, climbing out of a grave, Sam drinking blood from a woman's arm, a man who looked like Jimmy but was not killing a woman with a demonic aura.

Everything was black for a second and then a second image appeared. It was of an older Claire, an angry, hurt, grieving Claire. And the man who was Jimmy but not Jimmy. They were standing next to a classic looking car. Older-Claire was glaring at Not-Jimmy. She was beyond hurt, and somehow Quinn knew it was her fault. _You're not my father,_ older-Claire growled at Not-Jimmy.

"No," Quinn muttered, grabbing her head and holding it like that was the only thing keeping her together, "no, no, no, no, no."

There was a hand on her shoulder and Quinn couldn't help but scream. It burned, she could feel the heat steeping through her body like a poison, trying to kill her.

"Get away," Quinn growled, pushing Sam away from her, "you're poisoned."

Quinn backed herself into a corner and stared at the people in front of her with wide eyes. She could feel a heat coursing through her body, trying to push away the poison. The emotions were running high in the room, and she could feel each and every one of them like they were there own.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that they weren't going to hurt her. There was Amelia, her sister, a woman she trusted more than she trusted herself. Jimmy, the man that gave up everything to ensure that his family was protected. Claire, her Claire-Bear, a girl with more life in her soul than anyone Quinn had ever known. There was Dean, a tortured soul who had literally been to hell and back, a righteous man.

But then there was Sam. The man was poisoned, he was terrifying, and she didn't know what to think of him. She knew that deep down he thought he was doing the right thing but he wasn't. Something was telling her that he was making a grave mistake, a mistake that would cost innocent lives.

"Don't touch me," Quinn said harshly when Dean stepped closer to her, his hands raised. "Please, just don't touch me."

"Nini?" Claire tried, her voice heartbreakingly small, "Nini, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Claire-Bear," Quinn apologized quietly, tears streaking down her face, "I'm so, so, so sorry."

"Quinn?" Amelia tried this time, and Quinn looked at her sister for a moment before having to look away. The eye contact heightened the emotions Quinn was feeling to an unbearable point.

"We gotta go," Quinn said suddenly, a desperate feeling washing over her and making her stomach squirm, "now."

"Let's go," Dean ordered again, this time helping Quinn up as she allowed him to approach. Sam was in front and stopped when there was a movement from the living room. Dean ushered the rest of them out, shouting at them: "Go!"

"Come on," Amelia urged Claire out of the house with Jimmy following. Quinn stayed right next to her friend while Dean doubled back to check on his brother.

Dean ran up behind Quinn, pulling Sam with him, and ushered the group into the Impala. Quinn sat in front with Sam and Dean, trying to keep her distance from Sam, while the rest of her family sat in the back.

Quinn looked back after an hour of driving to see that Amelia and Claire were both asleep and Jimmy was staring out of the window blankly. She tried to catch his eye, but the man refused to look at her. Quinn nearly growled at him but held herself back.

She could still feel emotions swirling around her, and she had no idea how to turn them off. Jimmy was guilty, confused, and hurt. Dean was angry and sad, but the emotions were directed at himself so they were easier to ignore. Amelia and Claire's emotions were both subdued and for that Quinn was grateful.

Sam's entire presence was diluted with something inherently _wrong._ It wasn't that it was evil, it was more that it was at odds with everything that made Sam who he was. The presence was attached to Sam's soul, tainting it. She probed at the feeling for a moment before recoiling as it retaliated. She was just glad that the man didn't seem to notice.

Exhausted and emotionally drained Quinn fell into a fitful sleep with her head resting against the back of the seat. Her dreams were filled with blood and fire, the screams of the damned, and the hollow laughs of those who have given up.

* * *

She woke with a start when the Impala came to a stop and followed Dean out of the car, needing to stretch. She could still feel a whirlwind of emotions, but for now, she was too tired for them to be overwhelming.

Sam and Dean stood next to each other and Quinn stood next to Jimmy, leaning against his side. She had some idea of what happened to him now, and while she wasn't happy with him, she did understand.

Jimmy wrapped an arm around Quinn's shoulder and kissed the side of her head. She could feel the gratitude radiating off of him merely due to her presence, and she latched onto the feeling, using it to drown out all of the other emotions.

"You were right," Jimmy said, looking up at Sam and Dean, his eyes expressing the guilt that he felt.

"I'm sorry we were," Dean said, his eyes shifting from Claire and Amelia in the back of the Impala to Jimmy and Quinn.

"I-I'm telling you, I don't know anything," Jimmy said earnestly.

"I don't think they're inclined to believe you," Dean warned.

"And even if they did, you're a vessel," Sam reminded the man, "They're still gonna wanna know what makes you tick."

"Which means vivisection," Dean said with an apologetic look sent to Quinn, "if they're feeling generous."

"I'm gonna tell you once again; you're putting your family in danger," Sam said. Quinn could feel Jimmy's arm tighten around her shoulder, "You have to come with us."

"How long?" Jimmy demanded, "And don't give me that "cross that bridge when we get to it" crap."

"Don't you get it?" Sam started darkly, his emotions getting the better of him, "Forever. The demons will never stop. You can never be with your family. So you either get as far away from them as possible, or you put a bullet in your head. And that's how you keep your family safe. But there's no getting out, and there's no going home."

"Well, don't sugarcoat it, Sam," Dean said with wide eyes.

"I'm just telling him the truth, Dean," Sam snapped at his brother, "Someone has to."

Quinn stepped away from Jimmy and smiled gently at the man before pulling him into a hug. He accepted gratefully and put his head on her shoulder, breathing into her neck. She ran her hand through his hair.

"Go talk to Amy," Quinn said after a moment of silence, "and whatever you decide I'm behind you the entire way. You're my best friend, Jimmy, and I love you."

"I love you, too, Quinn," Jimmy whispered, "god Quinn, I am so sorry."

"I forgive you, you big lug," Quinn told the men, pushing him away gently and looking into his eyes so he could see her honesty, "now go talk to Amelia."

When Jimmy opened the door, Quinn turned her attention to the brothers who were pointedly not looking at her. She smiled softly at their awkwardness even as the strained emotions started to creep back in. They were a presence in the back of her mind that reminded her of a cat that one of her one-night-stands owned that refused to leave the room and watched them the whole night.

"How do you guys know Jimmy?" Quinn asked, wanting to see if they had the answer to who Not- Jimmy was.

"Long story," Dean replied, merely smirking when Quinn glared at him.

"Whatever," Quinn huffed before going to the Impala and climbing in next to Claire. She looked over at Amelia and Jimmy who had paused their conversation at her intrusion.

"Don't mind me," Quinn told them with a quick smile, leaning her head back against the seat and closing her eyes, "I love you both to the moon and back, but I've got a helluva headache."

When Quinn woke up the Novak family was outside, waiting as Sam hotwired a car. Quinn stepped out to join them, leaning against Jimmy again while he held Claire to his other side. She looked over at Amelia who was standing away from them and frowned. She thought her sister would be saying goodbye to Jimmy.

"Okay, so, uh, here's your car," Sam said awkwardly when the beige contraption started. He stood up and walked around the family before getting in the passenger side of the Impala.

"Hey," Jimmy said, pulling Claire all the way into his arms, "Take care of your mom, okay, bub?"

"Okay," Claire agreed, putting her forehead against Jimmy's in a way that made Quinn's heart melt.

Jimmy turned to Quinn and pulled her into a hug, squeezing her tight. She returned it with the same amount of force, not wanting to let go. She had a feeling that this would be the last time she'd see Jimmy.

"You know I love you, right, Nini?" Jimmy asked, and Quinn's breath hitched. He placed his head on her forehead, and she gasped.

She wasn't sure what she was seeing, but the image of someone that was Jimmy but a lot worse than Not-Jimmy stabbing a knife through her gut would be in her head for a long time.

"I love you too, Jimbo," Quinn whispered brokenly when her vision cleared. She squeezed tighter for a moment before stepping back and watching Jimmy get into the Impala.

"Why is he leaving again?" Claire asked, looking at her mother.

Quinn watched in horror as Amelia smacked Claire, the impact forcing the girls head to turn.

"Amelia," Quinn gasped, rushing to her niece's side, "What the-"

She stopped when Amelia's eyes turned black and pulled Claire behind her, using her body to shield the girl.

"Because it's just not my day, is it?" Amelia smirked, "You little bitch."

"Fuck you," Quinn snarled, eyes darting around to see if there was anything she could use to help Claire get away, "what have you done to my sister?"

"This bitch?" The demon smirked, "she's so jealous of you, you know that, right? She knows that if you were a few years older, it would be you with Jimmy, not her. She was so happy when you decided to leave the state for college cause then she had Jimmy all to herself."

"Yeah, I knew that," Quinn said, startling the demon, "of course I knew that, why do you think I left?"

"Nini?" Claire whimpered from behind Quinn, and she turned to look at her niece, "what do you mean?"

"It's okay, Claire," Quinn said before turning to glare at the demon again, looking at it was making her nauseous "you know what? We'll go along with whatever your shitty little plan is. But only because I know that you're going to die anyways."

"Bitch," the demon snapped before backhanding Quinn, sending her to the ground.

Quinn winced but stayed down, smirking when the demon snarled at her.

"All bark no bite," Quinn shook her head in mock disappointment, "your superiors must be so proud of you."

"Nini," Claire gasped when the demon sent a kick right into Quinn's ribs.

She was goading the demon on purpose, needing to take its attention away from Claire so that the girl wouldn't get hurt. If Quinn got a few broken ribs for her effort and Claire got nothing then it would be worth it.

"Let's go already, you know this place isn't going to work," Quinn grinned, hiding a winced as she sat up before standing and bowing to the demon, "Lead the way, oh spawn of Satan."

* * *

They were taken to a warehouse about three miles from the parking garage they had ended up at. Quinn was tied to a post on the wall, her feet barely touching the ground, while Claire was tied to a chair where Quinn couldn't see her.

There were more demons there now, and their presence put Quinn on edge. It almost reminded her of how she felt around Sam, though not nearly as diluted. She grit her teeth as yet another demon punched her in the stomach.

"Oh come on, bitch, you gotta react more than that," The demon smirked, "we just wanna see you scream."

"In your dreams," Quinn snapped, spitting at the demon. It was admittedly not her best move, but she still felt some triumph when the demon's eyes switched to black. A demon that couldn't control its temper was much easier to goad and distract, "you're not even good at torturing one human girl."

"Oh, but you're not human," The demon smirked, its eyes lighting up in delight, "but oh, you didn't know that did you?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Quinn asked, squinting at the creature, "of course I'm a fucking human."

"Hmmm. Little Quinn doesn't know what she is," the demon taunted with a faux pout, "oh this is perfect."

The demon kept taunting her, but Quinn was no longer paying attention. She could feel three sets of familiar emotions approaching them. One from her level and two from somewhere above. She zeroed in on Jimmy as he entered the warehouse.

"Hi, honey," the Demon in Amelia said cloyingly, "You're home."

"Listen, I'm – I'm begging you here," Jimmy pleaded, his hands raised, "You do whatever you want with me, but my wife and daughter, Quinn, they're just – they're not a part of this."

"Oh, they're a big part of this, Jimmy," the demon told the man, "And P.S. You should've come alone."

Jimmy frowned, gesturing around him, "I am alone."

"Oh, you're such a liar," not- Amelia grinned viciously, "Like I didn't think you'd bring Heckle and Jeckle, hmm?"

Quinn let her head fall forward as Sam and Dean are led into the room by three more demons. She'd felt them get caught but could feel that was at least part of Dean's plan; she wasn't sure about Sam.

"Nice plan, Dean," Sam whispered harshly to his brother.

"Yeah, well, nobody bats 1,000," Dean shrugged.

"Got the knife?" Not- Amelia asked, smirking when one of the demons holding Sam held a knife up. "And you know what's funny?"

"You wearing a soccer mom?" Dean poked.

"Is I was actually bummed to get this detail, picking up an empty vessel," Not- Amelia continued, ignoring Dean, "Sort of like a milk run. Now look who landed in my lap."

"Yeah, well, you got us, okay?" Sam said darkly, "Let these people go."

"Oh, Sam," Not- Amelia shook her head, "It's easy to act chivalrous when your Wonder Girl powers aren't working, huh? Now for the punchline. Everybody dies."

"No!" Quinn yelled when Amelia lifted a gun and shot at Jimmy. She felt tears stream down her face as she watched her best friend, her brother, fall to his knees, "Jimmy, no!"

"Waste Little Orphan Annie," Not- Amelia ordered the demon by Quinn before walking out of the room.

Suddenly all of Quinn's senses were pulled towards where Claire was tied up. She couldn't see her niece, but she could feel that there was something else occupying her body. Quinn wanted to run and hide; the being was too much. There was too much coming from him.

He was light, and he was dark. He was both a friend and a foe wrapped into one. Quinn felt herself, everything that made her who she was, being pulled to him and being rejected from his presence at the same time.

"No," Quinn muttered, "not Claire, get out of Claire."

She was still looking at Jimmy bleeding out on the ground when Claire stepped up to her. The ropes that tied Quinn up were burned away, and she fell to the ground. Claire turned to Jimmy and Quinn rose to her knees, watching them.

"Castiel," Jimmy groaned, his eyes wide in horror that Quinn felt herself being crushed by.

Claire walked past Jimmy and joined the fight between Sam, Dean, and the four other demons. Her hand is placed on one of the demons; a bright light flashed the demon fell to the ground. Quinn can't see more than a foot in front of her now.

"No," Quinn muttered again. Her vision was starting to tunneling, and she could feel everything. She could feel the demon lying on the ground, dead. It was an empty spot where a myriad of human emotions should be. She could feel everything Jimmy felt like it was her own. She felt the being inside of Claire. She could feel Sam's thirst and Dean's horror. She felt it all, and it was too much.

"Make it stop," Quinn pleaded with no one. She knew there was no one who could help her, "please just make it stop."

"Of course we keep our promises," Quinn could barely hear the voice of Not- Claire, and she let out a sob as the overwhelming sense of light approached Jimmy, "Of course you have our gratitude. You served us well. Your work is done. It's time to go home now. Your real home. You'll rest forever in the fields of the Lord. Rest now, Jimmy."

"No," Jimmy panted, holding his middle, "Claire?"

"She's with me now," Not- Claire said, "She's chosen. It's in her blood, as it was in yours."

"Please, Castiel," The voice of Jimmy pleaded, Quinn couldn't see anything anymore, "Me, just take me. Take me, please."

"I wanna make sure you understand," Not- Claire articulated, "You won't die or age. If this last year was painful for you, picture a hundred, a thousand more like it."

"It doesn't matter," Jimmy informed the being, "You take me. Just take me."

"As you wish," Not- Claire agreed.

Quinn felt the transfer happen and suddenly she was being lifted into a set of familiar and yet strange arms. They held her stiffly and allowed her head to hang at a peculiar angle. She tried to push the being away, but she couldn't gain control of her limbs.

"What are you doing?" Dean demanded from somewhere close to Quinn's head.

"She's not who you think she is," Not- Jimmy informed the hunters, that's what they were, "she's not human."

"What do you mean?" Amelia demanded, "She's my sister."

"Cas, hold up," Dean ordered, "What were you gonna tell me?"

"I learned my lesson while I was away, Dean," Not- Jimmy said, Quinn could feel him start to move but couldn't focus on anything as she faded into a black pool of nothing, "I serve heaven, I don't serve man, and I certainly don't serve you."


End file.
